Sr. Bethany Madonna: "Receiving the Promise" | SEEK 2017

[Music] good evening thank you so much they tried to convince me to put one of those mouthpieces and it just didn't fit yeah it didn't work Alex come I am so happy to be here with you this evening I was thinking having been at this huge conference I went to a symposium for religious sisters last year actually and there were like five hundred sisters from about 60 different religious communities so it was a nun convention I mean that's what it was and the topic was being a prophetic witness to the world now at the same hotel there were two other conventions going on simultaneously a cheerleader convention and a tattoo artist convention no jokes you can't make this stuff up so I'm going through the breakfast buffet and it's like pom-poms and pigtails and skulls and Dragons and the whole tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe and every Rose that fell from that Toma and I thought they're witnessing to me you know the cheerleaders the desire of the human heart for encouragement to be cheered on winning losing on your team with you the tattoos I saw a desire for permanent commitment memory dates names faces I also saw the desire of even hard for self-expression for creativity now the symposium ended and we were taking a late-night flight back to New York and we get to the airport and they overbooked so they're like sisters would you take these vouchers meal tickets hotel will get you out on the first place tomorrow morning if you'll accept and in the spirit of poverty we totally cash this so we go back to the hotel right and it was like seeing change to new conventions are starting the Star Wars convention and a body art exhibition this wasn't a dream I had okay you know and then my third grade teacher was there and got weird no so I was like okay what's being witnessed to me now Star Wars there is an intergalactic battle for soul the force in the dark side yes there is a longing to know your father all I know all I know if somebody handed me a balloon lightsaber and I was so happy now for the body artist so we were trying to get through a hallway and two of them were trying to pass us one the artist a small girl head down eyes averted from us cute hot pink pixie haircut and her work of art a woman painted from head to toe and wearing a robe so they're ducking past us and my sister goes incredible to which they both exhaled well I thought you'd be mad at us want to see the starry night on her back there it was and I couldn't help but think and say I just wish it were on a canvas and this girl said to me I don't beauty is fleeting and nothing lasts for time it moves it's alive and then it just all gets washed down the drain and no one sees it again what was being witnessed to me yes beauty is fleeting and life is fragile that's true but if we look deep within if we're honest I have a desire for an infinite beauty that does not pass away I long for a love that is forever and mine this has everything to do with our origin and with our destiny God only an infinite one can satiate my thirst for an infinite forever stable love and it's the very one who gave it to me I thought we could start with a prayer just to open our hearts to the spirit and the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit amen come Holy Spirit come come you're welcome here show us the Father let us receive the gaze of Jesus upon us let us see ourselves as we truly are help us serve see even here all that you desire for us this night be with us Blessed Mother be a mother to us amen so tonight we see the gift of God and then this Christmas season we see that he came to us wrapped in swaddling bands and lying in a manger giving himself to us walking among us tonight part of gift-giving is receiving it's essential actually so gifts can be received they can be rejected they can be left unwrapped and forgotten Jesus says ask and you shall receive this receiving is the gift that we give tonight I want to talk about receiving the gifts of God the ones that he's giving to us and has given to us first receive the gift of life second receive the gift of the new heart third receive the gift of the kingdom so first receive the gift of life God saw all that he had made and saw that it was very good the same God who set the bounds of the ocean and who placed the stars in their courses who had a thought and it became Niagara Falls snow flakes the orangutan giraffe you know I mean the peacock That Bird has a 10-foot train of Technicolor feathers and if it wants to get your attention it's like well BAM I mean all of creation is like losing Beauty creativity sound texture smell all of it it's incredible to think that with all of this intricate creativity this God made you and with more care and more purpose I love to think about fingerprints fingerprints identify you as the only you who ever was and ever will be no two sets are the same if God is going to take so much care in arranging and designing the circle pattern on the end of your finger how much more the love in your heart your love is totally unique to you you are the only one who can love with the love of your heart and you're the only one who can love God with the love of your heart and you're the only one who can receive his love into this space which is you and he locks for this no one else can satiate his desire for you in st. Paul's letter to the Galatians he says God sent the spirit of his son into our hearts crying out Abba Father so you are no longer slaves you are a child and if a child then an heir you know when your favorite song comes on and you just have to hear like that first guitar strum or like the piano interlude you're like mom it's my fault like you have this kind of like unstated knowing that when God inspired the artist to write it he actually had you in mind and you'll be mid conversation with someone and I'll come on you're like could you hold that thought it's my song and you just want to excuse yourself you almost feel like you have to be on your bed in the dark like just like drink it in you just bless the inventor of the repeat button it's the song that when you're in the car you're like windows down volume up phrase hand out I'm going to sing you mine and it's a little awkward to do it without a guitar but I thrive in awkwardness and I don't play the guitar I was thinking maybe you just wouldn't look at me right now or the jumbotron you're good good father it's who you are it's who you are it's who you are I'm loved by you it's Who I am its Who I am and this just takes off at that point you know yeah that's so good he's a good father he's a good father thank you for all those a sympathy anxiety who joined me the father is speaking you and he knows that you're made for communion because you're in His image and likeness the Catechism reminds us that no one is father as God his father and we have a good father he loves you and he is always present he is never too busy distracted burdened by your needs your desires your questions he's affectionate she just tells us that he has kisses and hugs for a son who's been with the pigs his father is ours he never withhold from us he's a good provider so how do we receive this gift that is ours because often we live like orphans there's something called an orphan spirit and it can attach itself to me and I can begin living out of this belief that I'm a burden alone I've been rejected I'm on the outside I'm not someone who's been chosen I'm not beloved I have to work to earn love and to prove that I'm worthy of it somehow acceptable I need to establish my own identity because I didn't receive one from the Father I'm always striving to be better and I know even in the striving it's not good enough we need to seek deliverance and healing from this orphan spirit jesus said I will not leave you orphans I will come to you a priest living in San Francisco shared this story with us he received a panicked phone call there was a young girl on top of the Golden Gate Bridge would he come and assist now this priest was a very short man and terrified of heights so he drives out and he arrives on the scene and they point her out to him said nothing can get her down so petrified he puts his hand on the cable and he starts to make his way up now it was a windy day so the bridge is kind of swaying the man's like trembling like a leaf and totally drenched in sweat rora soething completely sopping and he's he's trying not to look down but he doesn't want to look up so he's just trying to keep himself together and this girl looks down and she sees someone obviously panicking and she calls down hey you're almost there she couldn't make it she's like oh my god oh my god I'm heartily sorry he's inching his way up and she sees he has a Roman collar on he finally makes it to the top to her little perch and she pulls him over and he sits next to her and he just starts rocking himself and her heart is so moved he does not even know me she thinks I'm worsen finally father is able to speak and he says how am I going to get down like I'll help you here put your hand here yeah put your lip you know I'll go first yeah she sound okay step step left yes yes Oh easy uh-huh nice and easy yeah you're okay I'm here with you step by step by step they get to the bottom everyone's safe and sound and everyone's like father what did you say his whole life flashed before his eyes because she saved my life Jesus comes to the place where you are and he says you are not an orphan you have a father and he sent me I give you my mother as your mother you have a home and a family the church you are accepted just want to take a moment right now and just let the gift of your life wash over your heart receive the gift of your life from him receive the gift of a new heart when the Angels fell the father did not send his son to become an angel but when our first parents fell in sins God could not bear to be separated from us and sent his son as a man to redeem us the father said everything to us in this one word Jesus I will not leave you orphans I will come to you the very places that you experienced the deepest inadequacy insecurity confusion the pain of abuse suffered rejection he comes to that place that he draws you out the gift of God is for you it's yours he wants you to see the way that he looks at you the promise given by the Lord to the prophet Ezekiel is given to you tonight I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols I will cleanse you I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you that you may live I want you to take a second right now and just think to yourself what impurity is my heart longing to be cleansed from am i ready to allow myself to be given the gift of a new heart a new beginning now there are a few things that keep us from this sweet repentance that turns our life around and back to God and we need to be able to call these things by their proper name when I entered the convent one of my classmates was from New Zealand and she picked up the fact that Americans call things by their brand name and not by what they actually are so do you need a Kleenex yeah could you pass me a ziplock who didn't realize you did it so today we're listening to this lecture and we're in this stuffy overcrowded hall and it was like post-lunch I mean I was looking around I really didn't think I was going to be able to make it without passing out and suddenly my pastelon sister leans over to me she goes I could really use some scotch heywhat well so could i but i would never say that out loud I look over at her she's holding her tour notebook in her hand indicating to me that she could really use some scotch tape I explained to her that that's one brand that you need to have the object attached let's name a few things that keep us from receiving this gift of the new heart by name first fear fear has to do with punishment it's a tactic of the enemy to make you think that you can't approach God because you will be judged condemned the brunt of anger and punishment jesus said to the woman caught in adultery has anyone condemned you neither do i condemn you there is no sin that God will not forgive and believe me priests have heard it all when we go to confession whatever we confess is literally blotted out wiped away I'm not sure if you're familiar with Margaret Mary Alacoque she's the saint who Jesus revealed his Sacred Heart to he also told her that he wanted her to have a spiritual director and that his name was father claude de Colombia so she approached and asked father Claude telling him that Jesus had told her that he was to be her spiritual director he was skeptical to say the least and he looked at her and he said if Jesus appears to you again you go ahead and ask him what was the last mortal sin that I confessed then I'll know she's like okay so she agreed and returning later to father Claude she said Jesus did appear to me again and I was able to ask him your question and father Claude goes what do you say and she said well he said I don't remember he became her spiritual director worried about it yeah the second thing that keeps us from receiving they get to the new heart the lie were lies whatever lies are being spoken San Agustin believes lies for years and when he felt torn and breaking free of his sexual addiction he heard temptation actually taunt him and pull him from behind saying you can't live without us but something told him this is not true life so as he was on the brink opening himself up he heard take and read take and read and he opened up the scriptures to st. Paul it said this not in carousing and drunkenness not in sexual excess and lust not in quarreling and jealousy rather put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh and he knew he wanted to put on the Lord Jesus Christ what would have happened if Saint Agustin had not crossed that bridge and left that sin behind this man who became a bishop and a doctor of the church the third thing shame shame keeps us from receiving dr. Bernie Brown is a shame researcher and she said this you put shame in a petri dish it needs three ingredients to grow exponentially silence secrecy and judgment you put the same amount of shame in another petri dish and you doused it with empathy it can't survive shame needs silence and secrecy to grow the Lord and His goodness knew this he gives us the sacrament of confession as a life setting run life-saving remedy for this death feeling shame Saint Ignatius who gave us the 14 rules of discernment of spirits which is how we can know if a movement within is from God or from the evil one he says this in the 13th rule the evil one acts like a seducer who says to us don't tell anyone about this instills fear and keeps us in shame when bringing it to the light would set us free Jennifer one of the women that we served in our hope and healing mission she had suffered two abortions in her young adult life she shared the day that she received a major grace to be able to go to confession and she had to apply this rule as she went she'd made an appointment with her parish priest and as she drove to get there the battle was on I want to use her words I'm clutching the steering wheel when suddenly I started hearing a whisper you don't have to do this what about the second abortion you're not going to tell him about that one are you you don't have to why are you making this so difficult on yourself she said I was fighting so hard through tears crying and praying Hail Mary I was feeling so much conflict and terror because I could not get over that second abortion where is all this coming from I lashed back and I said no I want to heal hail Mary full of grace I got there in tears and father walked me through the whole confession and at the end he put his hands down and as if picking up a lamb and putting it on his shoulder said all of heaven rejoices from the lost lamb is found welcome home for the very first time in my life I felt alive and in love I will not leave you orphans the final obstacle in our complete healing Jesus came across and met a man who had been sitting thirty-eight years by a healing pool thirty-eight years he said to the man do you want to be healed that man did not answer yes or no what he said to Jesus was no one helped me and when I try to go in myself there's like obstacles in my path unforgiveness blame and delaying conversion unforgiveness unforgiveness is like me drinking poison and hoping someone else dies forgiveness is a gift I need to give in order to be able to receive it forgive and you will be forgiven this can be hard and the Catechism actually affirms that it's hard and says it's not in our power to forget an offense or to just stop feeling it but the Holy Spirit works in the heart that asks for this grace who do you need to forgive come Holy Spirit come and reveal that person free us from anger free us from the bitterness I will give you a new heart and a new spirit the third gift to be received is the kingdom come life in the Holy Spirit a few years ago patty came into our lives when her boyfriend found out she was pregnant he gave her an ultimatum you pick me or the baby crushed and betrayed she chose the baby and she moved in with us now although patty was raised a Buddhist she would come to our Chapel her holy hour every day she would look at Jesus and during this time silently he began healing her bruised memory her crushed heart speaking truth to her about her dignity her beauty his plan for love her son came two months early premature and fearful for his health patty asked that he be baptized a Catholic at the hospital named him Patrick Joseph he was put into the neonatal intensive care unit and he was a fighter and live he did and patty thought if this is what I wanted for him in his death this is what I want for both of us in our life and she entered RCIA classes one of the other guests living with us was so taken by Patty's joy one day she said I would like to go to class with patty - okay we're leaving hi have so much fun at our CIA later entered the church with her son Daniel now Patty student visa was up and she had to make a last-minute decision to stay and go to school or to move home and she chose to move home to Thailand she told the priest who is preparing her and he said patty you are ready for baptism and for your First Holy Communion so I was with her the night before when we were still trying to find her baptismal garment shopping so kind of want to paint the picture for you Manhattan Macy's Thanksgiving Day weekend 9:00 p.m. so we run in sister Rita and Patty run one way I have a three-month-old in arms and I run the other way I'm like at this point in my young religious life I hadn't been shopping in years but I was still really excited I was expecting pick person off so I'm holding a baby I'm like rifling through the dress rack and I don't know what I look like a sister and full habit dress shopping with an infant at night the guy who worked there timidly approached me in a like sister can I help you with anything I was like yeah I can pray that we find the perfect baptism dress for that young woman over there and he was like it was something like this and it was like it it was gorgeous it was pretty pearls all on it today were like it was made for her he picked out matching shoes told her to get any accessories she wanted and he rang us up at a very generous discount that did not add up it was like a dream we never saw him again but we never went to Macy's again at night when we got home Patti asked if we had a little chapel veil that she could wear she said any sister my heart is going like this I feel like tomorrow is my wedding day a wedding day it was god wet himself to her soul and then Jesus gave his body and blood to her in Holy Communion this is my body given for you patty I will create a new heart in you and a new spirit that you may live heaven starts here by living in the spirit we have received but has important to our hearts the spirit praising us teaches us consoles us and guides our decisions the Lord does not ration his gift of the Spirit but he never forces himself on us he longs to be asked invited freely ask and you shall receive we took a woman that we were serving and her three-year-old son sy L to Mass for the first time when sy l thought everyone began to receive Holy Communion he tugs that his mom and he goes mom I want that I need that mom please and his long goes no sadly so you can't have it so sister regions with him tries to explain why oh one day you'll be baptized and you'll receive Holy Communion no consolation prize for this kid uncontrollable sobbing I mean forcible removal from the Pew it was bad later one sister said to say Oh wondering how his trip to church went did you like going it was God's house but I cried and I just love when little kids tell on themselves it's the best and sister played right into it because she could tell he really needed to get something off his chest she was oh no sigh oh why did you cry well because they had God's love and they wouldn't give it to me from the mouths of babes Jesus who is loved knows that we are hungry for love and he makes himself our food he comes to us individually intimately in a way that we can receive him he knocks at the door of your heart World Youth Day was held last summer in Poland and we helped at a catechetical site and one night audrey assad and matt maher were playing and Bishop Baron did the Eucharistic procession and there were like 18,000 young people in this arena reaching out crying singing praising it was something out of the Gospels the next day I was talking to the one of the young Polish security guard Radek and he said sister last night I was in the midst of all those people I think I was the only sad one in the room I just kept thinking why not me and he said how do you know God loves you it flashed me back to a time when I felt the exact same way my first retreat Eucharistic Adoration I remember saying in my heart Wow God I don't know you my golly people know you but I want to I want to know you for the first time I sincerely opened my heart and I knew without knowing how that I was loved deeply so I said Radek Jesus gave you this desire to fulfill it do you want to pray right now and he did and something got lost in translation because I went to go put my hand on his shoulder and he just put his hand up to and met mine and closed his eyes now we're holding hands in there I strive in awkwardness so I gave them the squeeze the release shoulder it was so moving because his desire was so great and I wasn't adhere so we prayed I said Radek I know God loves you because I love you and I am weak and very limited and he brought you into being so that he could share his life with you so that he could be with you forever I will not leave you orphans I will come to you tonight is a night of healing it's a night of mercy and I know that there is someone in this room who knows the sadness not me I'll always be empty if that's you Jesus is coming to you Jesus is coming tonight the San Jesus who was born as a baby in Bethlehem the same Jesus who healed anyone who came to Hamlet's faith who died and rose to forgive sins is here tonight let us ask the Blessed Mother who received us as her own children at the foot of the cross to take us by the hand take us by the hand so that we too can give God our yes yes father to the life that you've given me yes Jesus to the new heart that you won for me yes Holy Spirit live in me he sees you he knows you he's coming to you open your hearts receive the promise [Music]

Channel: FOCUS Catholic

Views: 105,585

Rating: 4.9440818 out of 5

Keywords: catholic, catholic talks, sr bethany, sr bethany madonna, prayer, invitation to prayer, Jesus, God, faith, FOCUS, fellowship of catholic university students, catholic faith, nun, sister, holy orders, catholic nun, promises of prayer, sr bethany talks, sr bethany madonna talks, keynote focus talks, how to be catholic, catholic sister, seek, seek conference, seek17, seek2017, focus conference, awkward nun, sisters for life

Id: k4BNpnun0Jw

Length: 39min 39sec (2379 seconds)

Published: Mon May 15 2017